Governors should be judged not by their annual budget allocations but by the tangible changes those budgets bring to the lives of citizens. This principle underlies the Integrated Performance Assessment and Accountability framework adopted by the federal and state governments. In Zamfara State, Governor Dauda Lawal has substantially increased healthcare funding: ₦31.92 billion in 2024, ₦64.12 billion in 2025, and ₦87.46 billion in 2026, totaling ₦183.5 billion over three years. These allocations are significant, especially considering the state's history of underinvestment in healthcare.
However, the size of the allocation is only part of the story. The more critical question is what impact these billions have had on the lives of the people. Are hospitals and primary healthcare facilities functioning properly, providing quality care to patients? Can people access treatment closer to where they live? Are doctors, nurses, and other health workers available, and do facilities have the necessary equipment and medicines? Governor Lawal's spending must be evaluated based on these criteria to determine if it has improved healthcare quality, availability, and accessibility across the state.
A budget allocation alone cannot provide healthcare; it is meaningful only when converted into functioning facilities that can receive and treat patients. This is particularly important in Zamfara State, where public healthcare facilities have long been part of the broader development challenge. Governor Lawal's challenge is not just renovating or constructing aesthetically pleasing facilities but ensuring they deliver quality care with the necessary personnel, equipment, and infrastructure at affordable rates.
Governor Lawal's administration has approached healthcare as a system that needs rebuilding. The intervention involves upgrading facilities, improving their capacity to provide essential services, equipping them for diagnosis and treatment, and strengthening human and material resources. The objective is to ensure that patients entering government hospitals or primary healthcare centers receive actual care, rather than being referred elsewhere. The administration declared a state of emergency in the health sector in January 2024 and initiated a comprehensive intervention.
The intervention has led to the renovation of over 61 health facilities, including 10 general hospitals, and interventions in another 51 primary healthcare clinics. The Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital has been remodeled, upgraded, and equipped, while General Hospitals in Talata Mafara and Shinkafi have been upgraded as zonal referral specialist hospitals. The administration has also pushed healthcare closer to communities through primary healthcare system interventions and specialist services, reducing the need for patients to travel to Gusau for treatment.
The administration's modified free medical outreach has treated 6,842 people in 17 phases, covering various conditions such as cataracts, hernias, and vesicovaginal fistula. Tele-screening has connected patients in rural and semi-urban communities across all 14 local government areas to specialist care. These efforts demonstrate the administration's commitment to improving healthcare delivery and accessibility.
A key aspect of the administration's upgrade program is the restoration of specialist healthcare and provision of necessary equipment for diagnosis and treatment within the state. The Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital has been a major focus, with remodeling, upgrading, and equipping being crucial steps. The 2026 budget allocates ₦17.5 billion for upgrading Primary Healthcare Centers across all 147 wards of the state, emphasizing proximity to communities and timely access to care.
Key points
- Governor Dauda Lawal's administration has increased healthcare funding in Zamfara State to ₦183.5 billion over three years.
- The administration has renovated over 61 health facilities and intervened in another 51 primary healthcare clinics.
- The administration's healthcare spending aims to improve quality, availability, and accessibility of healthcare services across the state.
